Burgers, Sandwiches & Pizza

Campfire Recipes & Tips

July 3, 2020 by Tamara Giebel 2 Comments

Step up your camping game with these easy to make gourmet-ish Campfire Recipes & Tips perfect for your weekend getaway in the woods.

Make ahead Muffuletta sandwich with layers of meat and pickled vegetables

Make Ahead Food

TIP # 1 Prep Your Food Before You Leave

Want a stress free camping trip? Make what you can before you leave, like this Muffuletta Sandwich, which is better the next day anyways. Crusty French bread layered with thin sliced ham, Italian dry salami, smokey provolone cheese, roasted red peppers, pepperoncini and green olive tapenade gets wrapped up tight overnight for the perfect camp sandwich.

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5 from 2 votes

Muffuletta Sandwich

Make ahead sandwich layered with meats, cheese, olive tapenade, roasted red peppers and sliced pepperoncini

Course Main Course

Cuisine Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza

Keyword Camping Recipes, Make Ahead Sandwich

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 large loaf Crusty French bread split
6-8 tbsp Green olive tapenade
1/4 lb Provolone cheese with natural smoke flavor
1/4 lb Good deli ham thin sliced
1/4 lb Italian dry salami thin sliced
6-8 Jarred roasted red peppers in oil
6-8 Pepperoncini thin sliced

Instructions

Scoop out part of the inside of French bread halves and discard.
Spread green olive tapenade on each French bread half.
Place a layer of deli ham and a layer of Italian dry salami on each French bread half.
Place roasted red peppers and pepperoncini on one French bread half and cover with other French bread half to complete the sandwich.
Wrap tightly in Saran wrap,then in Ziplock and place in cooler at least over night or until ready to eat up to 3 days.

Bring Fresh Vegetables

TIP # 2 Pick Up Some Fresh Vegetables & Fruits Along The Way

You’re driving down that perfect country road, passing local farm stands, so why not pick up some fresh vegetables and fruits to add to your meal plan. You can transform any standard campfire meal with the addition of some fresh seasonal finds from the locals. Steamed Asparagus with Charred Lemon & Bacon is a quick campfire side that looks and feels gourmet.

Place asparagus in cast iron pan and cover with water.
Steam over fire until just tender.
While steaming, cook bacon in another pan and place cut lemons on edge of pan to sear in bacon grease.
Drain water from asparagus, add bacon and squeeze of lemon.

Steamed asparagus with bacon and charred lemon — Steamed Asparagus with Bacon and Charred Lemon

Bacon, bacon, BACON

TIP # 3 Bacon Doubles as Grease for Cooking Your Food

We all know that bacon makes everything better, right? I like to use bacon grease to cook my campfire meals. It not only saves room from not having to pack butter or oil, but adds a lot of flavor to your food. And if you freeze your packs of bacon before you head out on your getaway, they also double as ice packs in the cooler. It’s really a WIN WIN situation.

You see that Ziplock bag floating in the hot campfire water? That’s the easiest, no-mess way of cooking scrambled eggs while camping.

Before you head out, just crack your eggs in Ziplock bags, add a dash of cream and place in your cooler.
Keep it to about 6 eggs per large Ziplock bag for evenness of cooking.
When you’re ready to make breakfast, bring a pot of water to a low boil and drop in the Ziplock bag.
Make sure the bag doesn’t touch the edge of the hot pot by placing a rubber band around the top and cinching together.

Ziplock campfire scrambled eggs — Scrambled Eggs, Smokey Bacon and Baby Potatoes with Tortillas

Let Your Drinks do the Work

TIP # 4 Bring Boxed Wine to Use In Your Cooking

Boxed wine has come a long way. I always take a box of red wine with me on camping trips. Not only is it good for drinking, but it works well as a marinade for beef like these Beef Short Ribs with Rosemary & Cherry.

And…Remember that farm stand you stopped at on the way? I hope you grabbed some cherries because they pair perfectly with red wine.

Pop a few cherries in a Ziplock with your beef short ribs
Add a plash to 1/2 cup boxed red wine
Got leftover BBQ sauce packets from the drive thru? Throw those in the Ziplock too or hot sauce packets from Taco Bell
A little salt and pepper, then let it all sit while you make the fire.

Cherry, red wine and rosemary short ribs — Rainier Cherry, Red Wine & Rosemary Beef Short Ribs

Use Magnesium to start your fire

A fun and easy way to start a fire is by using magnesium. This little block is very powerful and heats to 4000 degrees F. making it a very quick way to start a fire without a lot of effort. All it takes is a block of magnesium and a pocket knife.

Layer campfire wood either alternating cross ways or teepee style
Use small pieces of kindling to ensure the fire will catch
Layer in a few pieces of paper
Shave off some magnesium onto the paper
Ignite using a spark tool or lighter

Hot Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Buttermilk Sauce

May 23, 2020 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Crispy, Hot Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Buttermilk Sauce is a spicy fried chicken breast tossed in spicy honey sauce, drizzled with jalapeno buttermilk then topped with fresh sliced mango.

Hello….. Summer Sandwiches

My hot chicken sandwich just got an ooey gooey upgrade. You’re going to need to break out the stack of napkins on this baby.

It starts with a spicy buttermilk soak, gets double dredged in spicy flour and fried to golden perfection. Then drizzled in the most amazing spicy Cajun honey and topped with creamy jalapeño buttermilk, fresh mango and cilantro. Its the perfect mouthful of heaven.

I found thin sliced chicken breasts at my local grocery. If you can’t find thin sliced, just grab regular chicken breasts and slice thin at home. Lay one chicken breast flat on the cutting board, place the palm of your hand over the top and press down firmly while slicing through lengthwise with a very sharp knife.

**The key to this is to continue pressing firmly with a very flat hand.

Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing

This creamy dressing is so easy to make with rich buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, cilantro and a whole jalapeño whirled in the blender.

Save the leftover dressing in a Mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing is a great addition to your classic taco salad, just drizzle over the top for an added creamy zest. And if you love it over your taco salad, you will definitely want to try it in your burrito.

Hot Chicken Sandwich with Jalapeno Buttermilk & Fresh Mango

Crispy, spicy fried chicken breast tossed in spicy honey sauce, drizzled with jalapeno buttermilk then topped with fresh sliced mango

Course Main Course

Cuisine Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza, Chicken

Keyword Hot Chicken Sandwich

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Chicken

4 chicken breasts, thin sliced
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning such as Zatarains
2 large eggs whisked
3 cups flour
1/3 cup Cajun seasoning such as Zatarains

Spicy Honey Drizzle

3/4 cup honey warmed
3 tsp Tabasco hot sauce
1 tsp Cajun seasoning such as Zatarains

Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 jalapeno whole with seeds
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Fresh Mango

1 mango peeled, sliced
1/2 lime juiced
1 tsp cilantro

Other Ingredients

2-4 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 tbsp Cajun seasoning
4 Brioche hamburger buns
1 handful cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Chicken

Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning and 2 blended eggs in a large dish. Soak chicken breasts in mixture while you prepare Spicy Honey Drizzle and Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing.
In a large Ziplock bag, combine 3 cups flour and 1/3 cup Cajun seasoning.
Place chicken breast, one at a time, in Ziplock bag and shake it up. Remove from Ziplock bag and place back in buttermilk mixture. Then one more time in the Ziplock bag until all chicken breasts have been double coated.
Heat vegetable oil in a large , wide rimmed pan, to about 350 degrees. I set my stove top to medium – medium high. You want enough oil to nearly cover the chicken. This is not deep frying, but rather pan frying.
Fry chicken breast, turning as each side browns, until fully cooked through. Times will vary depending on thickness of chicken breasts. Internal temp should read 165 degrees.
Remove chicken to wire rack and season with more Cajun seasoning right away.
Assemble Hot Chicken Sandwiches: Place a spoonful of Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing on bottom bun, then fried chicken breast, then Spicy Honey Drizzle, then Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing and finish with sliced mango, cilantro and the top bun.

Spicy Honey Drizzle

Combine warmed honey, Tabasco and Cajun seasoning.

Jalapeno Buttermilk Dressing

Place buttermilk, mayonnaise, sour cream, jalapeno and cilantro in a blender and pulse until smooth and creamy.

Sliced Mango

Toss sliced mango with lime juice and cilantro.

Similar Recipes:

Chipotle Shredded Beef Torta

November 13, 2019 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Tender, slow cooked Chipotle Shredded Beef piled high on a sauce drenched bolillo bun with crispy fried onions, thinly sliced radish and fresh cilantro.

Sweet & sticky sauce drenched bolillo buns are the base for Chipotle Shredded Beef Tortas. I’m pretty sure I could be totally satisfied with just that, but piled high with shredded beef that’s been simmering away for hours? Yes, please! This is one of those sandwiches that is going to drip down your arm. Yes, it’s messy..but man-oh-man is it good.

Top these babies with fresh cilantro and crunchy radish or your favorite toppings. Maybe some sliced avocado, a smear of refried beans or, for an extra lux bite, some melted cheese. It would be SUPER FUN to have a topping bar at your next football party and guests can make it their own. Scroll down for ideas on what to serve along side these Chipotle Shredded Beef Tortas at your next party.

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Chipotle Shredded Beef Torta

Tender, slow cooked shredded beef piled high on a sauce drenched bolillo bun with crispy fried onion, thinly sliced radish and fresh cilantro.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Beef, Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza, Mexican

Keyword sandwich, sliders, Slow Cooker

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 3 hours

Servings 8

Ingredients

Spice Rub

1 tbsp chipotle powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground thyme

Shredded Beef

1 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
3 lb beef chuck roast
1/2 yellow onion rough chopped
1 carrot rough chopped
1 celery stalk rough chopped
1 can beer I used Coors light

Sweet & Spicy Sauce

2 cups broth from cooking beef chuck roast
2 chipotle peppers from chipotle in adobo sauce can
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp cream

Crispy Fried Onions

1/2 yellow onion thinly sliced
1 1/2 – 2 cups milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup flour
2 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 tbsp Tanjin Mexican seasoning

Other Ingredients

8 small Bolillo buns or crusty slider buns toasted
1 handful cilantro rough chopped
1 bunch radish thinly sliced

Instructions

Combine spicy rub ingredients and rub all over beef chuck roast.
Heat lard in a large cast iron dutch oven over medium high heat. Sear beef chuck roast on all sides until nice and browned.
Add onion, carrot, celery and beer. Liquid should come just to the top of the roast.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 3 hours or until fork tender.
Remove beef chuck roast from dutch oven and shred. Reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid for the sweet & spicy sauce.
Assemble tortas: Dip each toasted bolillo bun in sauce, pile high with shredded beef, cripsy fried onions, more sauce, cilantro and radish.

Sweet & Spicy Sauce

In a small sauce pan combine cooking liquid, chipotles, ketchup and apple cider vinegar. Blend with an immersion blender (or transfer to blender and blend). Simmer over medium heat until reduced by half. Remove from heat and add butter and cream.

Crispy Fried Onions

Place onions in a small bowl. Cover with milk and vinegar. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Remove onions from milk mixture and coat in flour.
Fry in oil over medium high heat until crispy. Drain on paper towels or wire rack.

Serve it Up With:

Smokey chipotle cream cheese filled sweet peppers wrapped in bacon

Beecher’s White Cheddar Mushroom Bacon Burger

June 28, 2019 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Local to Seattle, Beecher’s white cheddar is the perfect pairing for this mushroom bacon burger with spicy arugula and creamy garlic aioli. This burger stacks high and is the ultimate in gourmet burgers, try it at your next BBQ, but you better make extra!

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

Have you been to the Beecher’s Handmade Cheese store at Pike Place Market? You may have passed it located on the corner of Pike and Pine right across the street from Pike Place Market. Here you can watch the cheese making process in action and pick up some of my favorite cheese.

Check Them Out Here:

Beecher’s Handmade Cheese

I love the combination of sharp, tangy white cheddar with spicy arugula. Mushrooms just make it even better because they are sauteed with onions that become nice and caramelized with just a splash of balsamic, Worcestershire and thyme for that savory goodness. And then, one step further we have garlic aioli. Really it’s just a spruced up mayonnaise, but it adds the flavor that seals the deal on this gourmet burger.

Let’s Talk About Beef:

I always use GROUND SIRLOIN or GROUND CHUCK for my burgers. Why? Because it has the perfect fat ratio so your burger won’t be dry like a hockey puck. Ground chuck has the most fat, making for a super delicious burger.

More Recipes Like This:

Beecher’s White Cheddar, Mushroom, Bacon Burger with Arugula and Garlic Aioli

Local to Seattle, Beecher's white cheddar is the perfect pairing for this mushroom burger with arugula and garlic aioli.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza

Keyword beecher’s cheese, burgers

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

4 small sesame seed buns
4 ¼ pound sirloin beef patties S & P and drizzle olive oil
4 slices bacon cooked
8 slices Beecher’s Flagship cheese
1 cup arugula

Mushrooms:

6 oz crimini mushrooms sliced
1 garlic clove diced
1 small yellow onion frenched (sliced in half then slivered)
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tsp balsamic vinegar
1 pinch dried thyme or fresh
1 tbsp butter

Garlic Aioli:

½ cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic minced or pressed fine
½ lemon squeezed
S & P cracked black pepper is best

Instructions

Heat grill
In a small saute pan over medium heat cook onion in olive oil until cooked about half way
Add mushrooms and garlic, saute until softened
Add worcestershire, balsamic and thyme, blend together
Add butter and toss. Move over to one side of pan, turn off heat and add arugula to empty side of pan to just barely wilt.
Grill burgers and add Beecher’s cheese after flipping
In a small bowl blend together garlic aioli ingredients and set aside
Assemble burgers: garlic aioli on each bun, burger,bacon, mushrooms, arugula

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Poblano Cream Sauce

May 21, 2019 by Tamara Giebel Leave a Comment

Fried chicken sandwiches are super hot right now. Dressed in a smoky poblano cream sauce that delivers all that crunchy goodness with just the right amount of heat. Pickled red onions seal the deal.

We’re headed south of the border for this Fried Chicken Sandwich. Crunchy fried chicken cutlets get smothered in a smoky poblano cream sauce and topped with pickled red onions that bring a zesty brightness to your bite. Poblano peppers are really pretty mild considering that wide range of peppers out there. We roast them bringing out the smoky flavor and remove the seeds leaving the right amount of heat. Paired with creamy mayonnaise and you have the perfect vessel to carry all that crunchiness straight to your mouth.

Fried Chicken Sandwich with Poblano Cream Sauce

Crunchy fried chicken breast with a smoky poblano cream sauce.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Burgers, Sandwiches, Pizza

Keyword Chicken Sandwich, Fried Chicken, SW Sandwich

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

Fried Chicken

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut in half, then sliced horizontally to make three pieces (see notes below)

Wet soak

1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp smoked paprika
1 pinch black pepper

Dry dredge

2 cup flour
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt

Poblano Cream Sauce

2 poblano peppers roasted, seeds/skin/stem removed
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 slice lime squeezed
1 pinch salt

Pickled Red Onions

1 small red onion very thinly sliced
1 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Other

vegetable oil for frying
6 brioche buns toasted
6 pieces iceberg lettuce torn
1/4 cup cilantro chopped

Instructions

Combine wet soak ingredients: buttermilk, salt, garlic powder, smoked paprika and black pepper in a large dish. Place chicken breast cutlets in mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Combine dry dredge ingredients: flour, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne and salt in a medium bowl.
Coat each breast cutlet in dry dredge then back in wet and a second time in the dredge. Push the chicken into the flour, making sure to really coat the chicken.
Heat oil in a large, wide rimmed frying pan to medium heat. Fry chicken, flipping continuously, until golden brown and cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees. Transfer chicken to paper towels or a wire rack to cool. Season with salt and pepper immediately.
Serve on a toasted brioche bun with poblano cream sauce, pickled onions, iceberg lettuce and cilantro.

Poblano Cream Sauce

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend with an immersion blender.

Pickled Red Onions

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days.

Notes

Roasting poblano peppers: Place poblanos on a sheet pan and under broiler. Broil until charred, turning to char all sides. Remove and place In a covered dish for 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board. Peel off skin and remove seeds and stem.

Making chicken cutlets: Lay chicken breast flat a cutting board. Place one hand on the chicken breast holding it firm and level. Using a very sharp chef knife, slice through the meat horizontally until you reach the other side.